Editor's Note: Li Pon är'-te-fakt's is my
favorite place to shop for special gifts from the heart. To celebrate its
varied delights, we present an overview
of the shop and also stories about Tom Galbraith's stunning blown-glass jewelry and "marbles,"
and Linda Pon Owen's luxurious silk handbags, just two of the many
treasures awaiting your ooohs and aaahs. JW-P

Pon Owen stitched her first bag by hand when the elegant silk numbers
she saw at stores were "out of reach" for her. This
lovely-but-sturdy prototype carried her books while she rode her bike
around town. Nowadays, Pon Owen stitches the bags on a machine. Most are
silk brocade, with durable linings of denim, raw silk or reclaimed
upholstery fabric. Some have bamboo or plastic handles. All are
reversible.

In this, Pon Owen has been inspired by the Japanese kimonos she
features in her store. "I want it to be as beautiful inside as
outside. If you look at the kimonos in the shop, the inside is very
beautiful. Some of the patterns are so subtle you don't even notice
them until you get very close or they catch the light a certain
way."

But don't let the delicate looks fool you: these bags are made
for walkin'. Pon Owen asked a recent customer if her purchase was a
gift. "No," the customer replied. "I'm going to use it as a diaper bag."

Pon Owen's bags can be custom-made or purchased at the Li Pon
boutique or Farmers' Market booth.

Paula Melton is Assistant Editor for Gallery Walk
and a free-lance publicity writer for the arts.